Vehicle-wheel.



F. H. MESSINGER. VEHICLE WHEEL.

' APPLICATION FILED DEG. 27, 1910. 1,103,308. I Patented July 14,1914.

Attorneys.

FREDERICK IEESSINGER,

or new roan, n.

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

Application filed December 27, 1910.

To all whom it may] concern H. Mns- Be it known that l, FREDERICKSINGER, a cltizen of the United States, and

a resident of the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of NewYork, have invented a certain new and useful Vehicle-VVheel.

The object I have in view is the production of an elastic wheel forvehicles, in which a pneumatic tire will. be avoided.

Further objects are to produce a wheel which will have all of theresiliency of the pneumatic tire, without the disadvantages of thelatter.

Another object is to produce a resilient wheel in which provision ismade for yielding against shocks of small magnitude, with additionalprovision for yielding against shocks of greater magnitude.

A still further objectis to produce means for adjustingthe amount ofresiliency of the wheel.

Further objects will more fully appear from the following specificationand accompanying drawings, considered together or separately.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a View of a wheel embodying my invention,the said view being partly in section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2is a view partly in section at right angles to Fig. taken on the line 22of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sect-ion view in detail of a modified form oftread, taken on the line 33 of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a section on the line4% of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the elastic member of thewheel.

In all of the views, like parts are designated by the same referencecharacters According to my invention the wheel comprises the ordinaryhub 1, the spokes 2, the felly 8. Upon the felly is carried the annularframe 4-5. This frame provides an annular chamber 6. The frame is openon the periphery, and is provided with annular flanges The tread 8, asshown in Figs. 1 and 2, is preferably of rubber or other elasticmaterial, and is continuous. It has a bearing surface 9.

It also has annular flanges 10-10, which engage under the flanges 7-7 onthe frame 11 is the elastic member, which lies within the chamber 6, andengages with the tread and tends to elastically force the tread outwardwith the flanges 10-1O in engagement Specification of Letters Patent.

with the flanges 1, the section being Patented July it, 1914.

Serial no. 598,357.

7 7-7 of the frame. The elastic member is best shown in Fig. 5. It iscomposed of a strip of elastic material, preferably steel, coiled uponitself and surrounding the felly. l1 prefer to make it in a plurality ofcoils, shown in Fig.v 5, and in a single piece. The free ends of thestrip may be supported in any way, but I prefer to con nect themtogether by means of a bail or link 2, as shown in Fig. 5. This bail orlink permits collapsing or distortion of the clastic member toaccommodate inequalities in the tread.

In lieu of the continuous tread v9, shown in 1 and 2, I may make it ofsolid material formed in sections, like a chain. Figs. 3 and 4illustrate such an arrangement, the tread being formed of alternatelycylindrical members 13, and rectangular members 14:, the rectangularmembers having notches within which the cylindrical members lie. Bohsets of members have projecting flanges 15, (see Fig. 4) which lie underthe flanges 77 of the frame. This tread is kept distended by engagementof the elastic member 11, in the manner already described. For thepurpose of providing a second device to provide for the taking ofintense shocks or shocks greater or distort-ions greater than will betaken care of by the elastic member 11, I provide an additional elasticmember 16 (see Figs. 1 and 2), this additional member being of smallerdiameter than the member 11. This member engages under annular shoulders17 formed in the frame 4 5 and by engagement with these annular flangesit is kept under compression. I prefer to have an annular space betweenthe two elastic members, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that the firstelastic member may be distorted within reasonable limits before it comesinto engagement with the second one, the second one taking up whatevershocks may be imparted to it. The member 16 is wider than the member 11,so that the inner member will engage with the wider flanges 1717 and theouter member with the tread, which engages with the narrow flanges 77.If desired, some suitable provision may be made to prevent creeping orrelative movements between the tread and the felly. Such devices arewell known and need not be described. It is to be noted that the annularframe is made of two pieces, so that the parts may be assembled.

taken apart, and the elastic member or members removed or adjusted, alsorepairs, re-

placements or adjustments may be made to the tread.

his to be understood that the elastic member may be made of any numberof coils of elastic material. When a plurality of coils are used, theyoverlap, producing laminae. It is to be understood that these laminaeshould have a lubricant, if necessary, between adjoining surfaces. It isalso to be understood that the hub and spokes of the wheel may beomitted, those shown being v merely for the purposes of illustration.Where a solid wheel is used, it is to be un-, derstood that the partherein denominated as felly will be the part which the elastic; memberis coiled around. I

It is obvious that various modifications may be made without departingfrom the spirit or scope of my invention.

The resiliency of the wheel may be ad.

justed to suit difierent conditions by removi ing the elastic member andsubstituting another of the required degree of stiffness.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes 1 havedescribed the princis ple of my invention, together with the ap paratuswhich I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but Idesire to have it understood that the apparatus 7 shown is merelyillustrative and that the invention can be carried out in other Ways.

Having now described my invention, What I claim as new and desiretosecure by Letters Patent, is

l. A vehicle wheel having a telly, actread, a flat coiled spring betweensaid felly and said tread, and a pivoted connectionbetween f the ends ofsaid spri g said connection per- T permitting relative movement ofmitting relative movement of the convolu-.

tions of the spring.

2. A vehicle Wheel having a telly, an annular frame carried by saidfelly and having a chamber therein, a tread mounted in said chamber andprojecting therefrom, a flat coiled spring located within said chamberand engaging said tread, and a link connecting the ends of said spring,said link the convolutions of the spr ng.

3. A vehicle wheel'having a felly, an annular frame carried by saidfelly and having a chamber therein, the walls of which have annularflanges, a tread having flanges which engage the outer flanges of saidchamber, a fiat coiled spring located within said chamber connectionbetween the ends of said spring, and a second coiled fiat spring locatedwithin said chamber and coiiperating with the inner flanges in the wallsof said chamber, a

pivoted connection between the ends of the second spring, the pivotedconnection of each and engaging said tread, a pivoted spring permittingrelative movement of the 1 convolutions of its spring.

4. A. vehicle wheel having a felly, an annular frame carried by saidfelly and having a chamber therein the walls of which have inner andouter annular flanges, a tread having flanges which engage the outeriianges of said chamber, a flat coiled spring located within saidchamber and engaging said tread, a second flat coiled spring locatedwithin said chamber and cotiperating with the inner flanges in the wallsof said chamher, and links'connecting the ends of each spring.

This specificationsigned and witnessed this 21st day of Dec, 1910.

FREDERICK H. 'MES S INGER. lVitnesses: I

JAs. F. OonnMAN, JOHN L. Loreen.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G."

